While famous for his signature acoustic bass playing with the Violent Femmes, Brian Ritchie plays numerous instruments and has eclectic musical tastes.  Early on, the Femmes agreed that Gordon would be the principal songwriter, to give the band a consistent sound and feel.  Brian has been able to more fully flex his musical muscles on three solo albums, on which he writes, sings and plays a variety of musical instruments.  The albums are The Blend (1988), Sonic Temple (1990), and Court of Babylon (1990).  The first two were released on SST Records, which has unfortunately gone out of business, so you'll have to look for these in used records stores or auctions.  The third was released on Dali Records and is still available on the Femmes' official website.

To demonstrate Brian's impressive skills, check out the instruments he plays on his first album:  guitar, drums, recorder, banjo, conch shell, elephant tusk, 6-string bass, flute, jaw harp, and accordian!

More recently, Brian has become enamored of an instrument called the Shakuhachi, a Japanese wooden flute.  In between Femmes shows, he has squeezed in a few solo performances in New York City.

Brian plays bass on Cody Melville's album "Lo-Fo Love Spy". Check out the Sounds page for an MP3 of his song "No Crime".